Why Can't God Overlook My Wrongdoing?

Another road to try and escape God's wrath is overlook.

There's another road I might wish to try.  

• I might try to walk down the road called "Overlook".  
• I may wonder whether or not God might simply overlook my sins. 
• Maybe God will forget all about them and not punish me for my disobedience.  
• Maybe God will overlook my wrongdoing.

Yet again I confront God's faithfulness to the covenant.  

• God is faithful, not only to His covenant demand, but also to His covenant wrath.  
• God has spoken, and always keeps His Word.  
• And also the Strength of Israel will not lie or relent.  
• For He is not a man, that He should relent. (1 Samuel 15:29).

Furthermore, I should examine what prompts me as a human to overlook something.  

• If a clerk in a store overcharged me ten dollars, I would likely go back and demand my ten dollars.  
• However, if she overcharged me only ten cents, I would probably overlook it.  
• The point is that I will only overlook those things which are unimportant to me.  
• I will not overlook important things.

I might be inclined to say that God should overlook my sins, for how serious are they?  

• Yet my sins are very serious.  
• My sins are nothing less than treason!  
• My sins are nothing less than spiritual adultery.  
• My sins offend God greatly.  
• He is terribly displeased with them.  

Will God allow such disobedience and apostasy to go unpunished?

• Certainly not.  
• He is terribly displeased with our original sin as well as our actual sins. 
• Therefore He will punish them by a just judgment both now and eternally, as He has declared: 
• Cursed be every one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them (Galatians 3:10).

God will not overlook my wrongdoing.  

• Thus, once again, the road called "overlook" is blocked.  
• I am directed to go to Jesus who bore God's wrath for my sins. 
• For, God's wrath no longer burns against those who cling to Christ.

Adapted Excerpt from Only By True Faith by Van Delden

Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 4